1. Prospero was usurped from his dukedom, it happened while he was paying more attention to his books than his duties. Duties of a Duke- They were assigned several counties to be the king's representatives and to be military leaders of the areas. Sons of the monarch were usually assigned as the dukes. The position as a duke is the highest ranking in power below the monarch. They ruled over a duchy which is another name for the counties that they ruled. 2. He studies sorcery and magic, and has mastered the use of this power. Prospero used his gift to summon the tempest and start his master plan. Sorcery and Magic in the 1600s- many people believed in alchemy during the 1600s. Alchemy uses chemistry to develop an elixir for eternal life; another popular chemical mix that was made in the 1600s was a love potion. Witchcraft and sorcery were looked at as sinful, but the people of that time knew of its power. Astrology and fortunetelling were popular practices in the 1600s as well. 3. Prospero looks to his horoscope and the stars for advice on creating the tempest, and following through with his plans. Astrology and Horoscopes- Astrology means "science of the stars" which means that the alignment of planets and the sun have direct effects on individuals' lives and their futures. Horoscopes are birth charts that determine aspects of people's lives and futures by looking at each persons' specific zodiac signs. These signs are connected to astrology because each of the 12 Zodiac signs corresponds with a constellation in the sky. 4. In order to trap Caliban, Trinculo, and Stephano, Prospero baited them with his fancy clothing. Duke's Fashion Statements in the 1600s- Broad lace and linen collars were a popular fashion statement in this time. The waistlines in their clothing were higher than recent years, and the sleeves were slashed but very full. Large hats were a favorite piece of attire as well as wearing breeches which replaced hose. 5. Prospero made the best of his living space on the deserted island, but where did this royal duke previously rest his head? Where Dukes Lived- Dukes were usually part of the royal family; they lived among the other royalty in their castle. As long as the head monarch stayed in power all of their royal family dwelled in the castle. Dukes were ranked very high in the social world, and they possessed a lot of money and power which sometimes allowed them to have their own separate mansions aside from the castle. 6. Prospero has a daughter named Miranda. Heirs to the Throne- Land and Titles were passed down to the oldest son in the family, and then the second oldest son. If they had gone through all of the sons, then the oldest daughter would receive the title. As for the land, it would be separated evenly among all of the daughters. 7. On the island Prospero had control of Ariel and Caliban; they referred to themselves as his slaves. Was this different from his way of life in the Kingdom of Naples? The Use of Serfs in Royal Families- Serfdom was a modified version of slavery, and was a relatively popular use of the lower class before the1600s (it became illegal at the start of the 1600s). Serfs did manual work for the higher classes of people. Their labor was used in the fields, agriculture, mining, forestry, and even through transportation. When serfs were let go, they gained freedom, but their transition into the real world was usually pretty rough. 8. In The Tempest, there is a lot of singing done by various characters including Prospero. Music for Royalty-In the start of the 1600s, the style of music called Monody was presented. Monody is a usually a solo performance (although it can have multiple voices) that is very tragic, and usually consists of a lot of bass. The music was dominated by a single melodic line called a monophony. Madrigals were used in the music of the 1600s greatly. These madrigals were sections of songs without Instruments where they merely had 4-6 different voices making use of contrapuntal imitation. 9.Prospero was wrongly over thrown by his brother, Antonio. He should have been brutally punished for his acts of treason. Punishment for Treason- When defendants were accused of a felony or treason they were not given the option of having a legal counsel. Their punishment was fast and very brutal. The justice system carried out their duties by either beheading or hanging. 10.The reason for Prospero creating the tempest was to crash the king and his men's ship so they would be stranded on the island with him. A Change in Transportation- During the 1600s, sailing ship structures went through little changes to make them more stable and easier to sail. Sterns on the ship returned to previous designs, leaving them more rounded. Sterns were lowered on the ships to make them less complex and more seaworthy. The 1600s also brought in the use of staysails which were attached to the ropes that held the masts up. These new and approved sails were triangular in shape.
Books
Prospero has a great interest in reading and studying his favorite books. The reason Antonio took over Prospero’s dukedom so easily is because Prospero was so involved with his studies.
Father and Daughter
The one person in Prospero’s life that he loves is his daughter Miranda. She was with him on the island the whole time which kept him from giving up.
Magic
Astrology, magic, and horoscopes are a very important part of Prospero’s life. He has a great interest in those three subjects and most of his time on the island has been spent studying them.
Ariel
On the island, Ariel has been very loyal to Prospero. He is proud of the job Ariel has done for him which caused Prospero to set him free. Prospero’s plan was a success because of Ariel’s assistance in manipulating the King and his men.
Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars **Song** I chose this song for Prospero’s page because I like it a lot. Besides that fact, the lyrics make me think about going after your dreams and never giving up. Prospero was determined to get his position as Duke of Milan back by never giving up.
Colors
I chose the colors blue and red for Prospero because I believe they properly represent him. Red reminds me of power, determination, and leadership. Blue represents prosper, loyalty, and intelligence.
10 Facts
1. Prospero was usurped from his dukedom, it happened while he was paying more attention to his books than his duties.
Duties of a Duke- They were assigned several counties to be the king's representatives and to be military leaders of the areas. Sons of the monarch were usually assigned as the dukes. The position as a duke is the highest ranking in power below the monarch. They ruled over a duchy which is another name for the counties that they ruled.
2. He studies sorcery and magic, and has mastered the use of this power. Prospero used his gift to summon the tempest and start his master plan.
Sorcery and Magic in the 1600s- many people believed in alchemy during the 1600s. Alchemy uses chemistry to develop an elixir for eternal life; another popular chemical mix that was made in the 1600s was a love potion. Witchcraft and sorcery were looked at as sinful, but the people of that time knew of its power. Astrology and fortunetelling were popular practices in the 1600s as well.
3. Prospero looks to his horoscope and the stars for advice on creating the tempest, and following through with his plans.
Astrology and Horoscopes- Astrology means "science of the stars" which means that the alignment of planets and the sun have direct effects on individuals' lives and their futures. Horoscopes are birth charts that determine aspects of people's lives and futures by looking at each persons' specific zodiac signs. These signs are connected to astrology because each of the 12 Zodiac signs corresponds with a constellation in the sky.
4. In order to trap Caliban, Trinculo, and Stephano, Prospero baited them with his fancy clothing.
Duke's Fashion Statements in the 1600s- Broad lace and linen collars were a popular fashion statement in this time. The waistlines in their clothing were higher than recent years, and the sleeves were slashed but very full. Large hats were a favorite piece of attire as well as wearing breeches which replaced hose.
5. Prospero made the best of his living space on the deserted island, but where did this royal duke previously rest his head?
Where Dukes Lived- Dukes were usually part of the royal family; they lived among the other royalty in their castle. As long as the head monarch stayed in power all of their royal family dwelled in the castle. Dukes were ranked very high in the social world, and they possessed a lot of money and power which sometimes allowed them to have their own separate mansions aside from the castle.
6. Prospero has a daughter named Miranda.
Heirs to the Throne- Land and Titles were passed down to the oldest son in the family, and then the second oldest son. If they had gone through all of the sons, then the oldest daughter would receive the title. As for the land, it would be separated evenly among all of the daughters.
7. On the island Prospero had control of Ariel and Caliban; they referred to themselves as his slaves. Was this different from his way of life in the Kingdom of Naples?
The Use of Serfs in Royal Families- Serfdom was a modified version of slavery, and was a relatively popular use of the lower class before the1600s (it became illegal at the start of the 1600s). Serfs did manual work for the higher classes of people. Their labor was used in the fields, agriculture, mining, forestry, and even through transportation. When serfs were let go, they gained freedom, but their transition into the real world was usually pretty rough.
8. In The Tempest, there is a lot of singing done by various characters including Prospero.
Music for Royalty- In the start of the 1600s, the style of music called Monody was presented. Monody is a usually a solo performance (although it can have multiple voices) that is very tragic, and usually consists of a lot of bass. The music was dominated by a single melodic line called a monophony. Madrigals were used in the music of the 1600s greatly. These madrigals were sections of songs without Instruments where they merely had 4-6 different voices making use of contrapuntal imitation.
9. Prospero was wrongly over thrown by his brother, Antonio. He should have been brutally punished for his acts of treason.
Punishment for Treason- When defendants were accused of a felony or treason they were not given the option of having a legal counsel. Their punishment was fast and very brutal. The justice system carried out their duties by either beheading or hanging.
10. The reason for Prospero creating the tempest was to crash the king and his men's ship so they would be stranded on the island with him.
A Change in Transportation- During the 1600s, sailing ship structures went through little changes to make them more stable and easier to sail. Sterns on the ship returned to previous designs, leaving them more rounded. Sterns were lowered on the ships to make them less complex and more seaworthy. The 1600s also brought in the use of staysails which were attached to the ropes that held the masts up. These new and approved sails were triangular in shape.
Prospero's Monologue Acts 1-3
Bibliogrpahy Jenna Pollard
Books
Prospero has a great interest in reading and studying his favorite books. The reason Antonio took over Prospero’s dukedom so easily is because Prospero was so involved with his studies.
Father and Daughter
The one person in Prospero’s life that he loves is his daughter Miranda. She was with him on the island the whole time which kept him from giving up.
Magic
Astrology, magic, and horoscopes are a very important part of Prospero’s life. He has a great interest in those three subjects and most of his time on the island has been spent studying them.
Ariel
On the island, Ariel has been very loyal to Prospero. He is proud of the job Ariel has done for him which caused Prospero to set him free. Prospero’s plan was a success because of Ariel’s assistance in manipulating the King and his men.
Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars **Song**
I chose this song for Prospero’s page because I like it a lot. Besides that fact, the lyrics make me think about going after your dreams and never giving up. Prospero was determined to get his position as Duke of Milan back by never giving up.
Colors
I chose the colors blue and red for Prospero because I believe they properly represent him. Red reminds me of power, determination, and leadership. Blue represents prosper, loyalty, and intelligence.